Your Childrens Health

Meningitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease, and involves an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. This inflammation can be caused by a variety of factors, including bacterial infections and viral infections, and also by some species of fungi, protozoa, and other parasites. Some of the more common symptoms of meningitis include fever, lethargy (decreased consciousness), irritability, headaches, photophobia (eye sensitivity to light), and a stiff neck.

The vast majority of meningitis cases are caused by infectious agents that are contagious. Many of the bacteria and viruses that are responsible for meningitis are fairly common. Good personal hygiene is an important means of preventing any infection. In addition, a range of vaccines are now available that protect against various forms of the disease.

The infectious agents (such as bacteria or viruses) are usually spread between people who are in close contact, such as those who live together, or people who are exposed by kissing or sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses.

These infectious agents are usually spread inside tiny drops of fluid that are expelled from the throat or nose of someone who is infected, for example, when they cough, sneeze, laugh, or talk.

Once airborne, these drops of fluid can enter the body of another person and cause them to be infected with the common infection caused by that germ, or, less likely, meningitis.

However, the infectious agent may also be spread by direct contact, for example by touching the hand of an infected person who has just coughed into it, and later touching your own mouth or eye with that hand.

Infectious agents can also spread via a person’s stool, and someone who comes in contact with this - such as a child in day care - may contract the infection.

Casual contact at school or work with someone who has one of these infections usually will not transmit the infectious agents of meningitis, but this can be enough to spread other infectious agents.

People with viral meningitis usually remain contagious while they have symptoms of meningitis. People who have bacterial meningitis can be contagious for about 24 hours after they begin taking antibiotics.

One of the most common causes of meningitis is the meningococcal bacterium which has five main groups - A, B, C, W135 and Y. These bacteria are very common and are found in the back of the nose, throat, and the upper respiratory tract of many people without causing them any ill effects. In fact, being a carrier of these bacteria helps to boost natural immunity. It is possible that 10 to 25 per cent of the population are carriers of meningococcal bacteria, and only rarely do the bacteria overcome the body’s defences and cause meningitis. The meningococcal bacterium cannot live outside the body for long, so they cannot be picked up from water supplies or swimming pools. The incubation period for meningococcal bacterium is between two and ten days.

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2006 at 8:27 pm and is filed under Meningitis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.